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I wrote this story last year, October 12, 2019 when this important Spanish national holiday fell on a Saturday. Last year, there were fiestas, parades, and fireworks as people gathered in large, crowded, public gatherings. This year, things are different. COVID-19 has changed just about everything in the world. This year’s Spanish national holiday falls on a Monday. Schools aren’t in session—as usual. Amazon is still delivering—as usual. However, restrictions and new lockdowns in Madrid and the surrounding area prohibit gatherings of more than six people.
This year’s Spanish holiday celebrations look a bit different. It’s quiet around here.
October 12, 2019
Earlier this week, Pierre’s soccer coach wrote to all the parents in our WhatsApp group.
“Will your child be available to play at the game on Saturday?”
We thought it was strange that he was asking. Why wouldn’t Pierre or any of the other kids be around on Saturday for the weekly game?
Apparently, not enough parents responded to the coach’s text with a positive “yes,” so the coach sent a follow-up text.
“There will be no game on Saturday.”
We were obviously missing something here.
Later that afternoon, we met our language tutor at the tapas bar down the street for our Spanish lesson. While playing with dolls in a dollhouse (that’s how we learn Spanish!), we thought that we could ask questions and do some cultural learning.
We asked our tutor if there was a holiday on Saturday or something else that we should know about.
“Yes, it’s ‘Spanish Day’!” she replied in English.
‘Spanish Day’
“Hispanic Day (Día de la Hispanidad) or National Day (Fiesta Nacional de España) is an annual national public holiday in Spain on October 12. It commemorates when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the Americas in 1492.”
https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/spain/hispanic-day
Cool! I didn’t realize that the Spanish National Day was closely connected to my home country and continent—the Americas! Although, now that I think about it, “Columbus Day” is always celebrated on October 12 in the US with schools and businesses closed.
Now, it’s all starting to connect in my mind!
“According to the Julian calendar, Christopher Columbus set sail from the port of Palos de la Frontera in South-West Spain on August 3, 1492. He landed on a island that is now part of the Bahamas in the Caribbean on October 12, 1492. The anniversary of this date is marked as Hispanic Day in Spain.”
https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/spain/hispanic-day
Cultivating Cultural Awareness
Very interesting! Thank goodness that Columbus left Spain to explore the bigger world out there. He put on his cultural glasses as a “Cultural Learner.” Setting sail to cultivate and grow his cultural awareness, Columbus ventured out to expand his global tapestry and to “Weave Cultures.”
Imagine if he had been afraid to travel and had yielded to the barriers at his border?!
Just imagine . . . where would we be today?
No School, No Work
“Hispanic Day” is a public holiday when businesses and schools are closed. This year, it fell on a Saturday. People enjoy being off work and getting together with friends and family to celebrate and share a meal.
A lot of exciting, cultural events take place on this holiday—
“On this day, the king of Spain supervises the raising of the Spanish national flag in the center of Madrid on Hispanic Day. He and the prime minister lead a military parade after that. The parade includes representatives from most of Spain’s military units and various military vehicles. Armed forces’ planes perform aerobatics above the parade route and display yellow and red smoke to represent the Spanish flag.”
https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/spain/hispanic-day
I’m not sure if there are typically fireworks in the Spanish capitol on this special day. We certainly didn’t hear any where we were. I am hoping that eventually we will celebrate a Spanish holiday that will make up for all the fireworks that Vincent and I missed on our national holidays!
Not Everyone is Celebrating!
Our Spanish language tutor went on to explain that there are a lot of people in Spain who aren’t happy with “Hispanic Day.” Some of them are not celebrating the king and his monarchy. In case you didn’t know, Spain is a constitutional monarchy—officially known as the Kingdom of Spain and governed by a king.
This group of unhappy nationals even has their own Republican flag, declaring publicly their beliefs and their desire for change.
We Missed It!
Unfortunately, we weren’t in Madrid on Saturday to watch the fun, cultural spectacle of Día de la Hispanidad. Perhaps next year!
In any case, I’m thankful for Christopher Columbus’ spirit of adventure and his travel dream! I’m thankful for his courage, his willingness to journey into the unknown—to build his cultural awareness, expand his global tapesty, and “Weave Cultures”!
Thank you, Christopher Columbus, for this Spanish national holiday!
—The Cultural Story-Weaver
MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
Let’s Weave Cultures!
If you have lived or traveled in another country, have you learned about some of the local holidays? How have you joined in the celebrations?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures”! Write about them in the comment box below.
